(U2) The Revolutions Of February And October 1917 Flashcards
Explain the effect WWI had on the Russian economy with regards to:
Food supplies (4)
- requisitioning reduced agricultural output —> horses and fertilizers taken for war
- sales of food became unprofitable (due to inflation), farmers stopped selling grain
- hunger began to border famine
- Petrograd by 1917 had to ration bread and received less than 1/4 of the bread in 1914
Explain the effect WWI had on the Russian economy with regards to:
Inflation (2)
- spending rose from 4m to 30m roubles
- to fund this, the gold standard was abandoned and more notes were printed —> causing inflation to rise
Explain the effect WWI had on the Russian economy with regards to:
Transport (4)
Transport:
- the rail system was mechanically inefficient and was not fit for war
- by 1916 it verged on collapse
- food transport cut: 1914 - Moscow received 2,200 wagons of food per month
- by 1917 this fell to only 700 per month
What key issue hampered the Russian army on the frontlines in WWI?
Equipment shortages:
- Despite being the largest military in Europe, equipment didn’t reach the frontlines
- Russian expenditure was high, however poor planning around transport prevented equipment reaching troops
What move by Tsar Nicholas II in WWI grew criticism against him?
When and why did this cause criticism?
- August 1915: Tsar becomes commander in chief of the army
- he was now accountable for any military failures
How did low morale in the military become evident?
What does this suggest? (Russia WWI)
- Numbers of caught deserters grew: 195,130 deserters in March 1917 to 365,137 in August 1917
- the army knew they could not win the war
can round numbers if you want
Who led Russia prior to the February 1917 revolution?
Tsar Nicholas II
Upon the Tsar changing his role, who did the Tsar leave in charge of government?
The Tsarina and Rasputin
What is a soviet?
A soldier’s or worker’s council
Upon the Duma being recalled in July 1915, what key mistake did the Tsar make?
What did this cause?
- He didn’t co-operate with the zemstva and the union of municipal councils
- this furthered political opposition to the Tsar
Which political coalition formed in opposition to the Tsar in August 1915?
Who was part of it? (4)
- the Progressive Bloc
- the Kadets
- the Octobrists
- Nationalists and
- progressive industrialists
Why did the Progressive Bloc become direct opponents of the Tsar?
The Tsar failed to grant reforms they pledged
Between 1915 and 1916, how many PMs did Russia have?
What does this highlight?
- 4
- political chaos
Why did the role of Rasputin create opposition to the Tsarina and the Tsar?
Why was this a problem?
- He was unpopular with the aristocracy
- the aristocracy were a key pillar of the Tsarist regime - alienating them risked losing their support
What effect did the high turnover of ministers (under the Tsarina) have on members of the Duma?
Discontent grew - members felt their demands were not taken seriously
Upon coming back to Petrograd, what mistakes did the Tsar make with regards to the Duma?
Give evidence of this.
What effect did this have?
- He refused to listen to concerns raised by the Duma
- seen through dissolution of Duma Feb 27th 1917
- this only led to further discontent and opposition
When did the aristocrats plot to murder Rasputin?
December 1916
When did the strike at the Putilov steel factory begin?
By day 4, how many were protesting?
What happened on the 5th day which grew the protests further?
- 18th Feb 1917
- 100,000 (Feb 22nd)
- women joined for international women’s day (Feb 23rd)
On what day had the Putilov strikes crippled Petrograd?
How did the Tsar respond?
- 25th February 1917
- dissolved the Duma (27th Feb)
How did the February Revolution manifest itself? (Broadly) (3)
not causes - actions that immediately caused it
- the Putilov strikes - crippled Petrograd to the point the Tsar couldn’t return (28th Feb - train stopped)
- Tsar abdicates (2nd March 1917) - advised by generals
- New Provisional Govt formed (3rd March 1917)
Why was the Prov govt immediately unstable? (4)
- Many different parties - causing decision making to be slow & difficult
- struggled to meet needs - therefore weren’t supported by the working and middle-lower classes
- granted political amnesty - freed opponents like Lenin
- order no. 1 & dual authority